The Sun. — London, England, 1836-02-09 00:00:00

COMMON PLEAS-MONDAY. PEREIRA V. FRANKS. This was an action of trespass for assault and false impri torment. The defendant, who is a hatter, and occupies a shop and two rooms in a house in Finsbury-square, has been for some time disputing with a Mrs. Etsbank, the occupant of the remaining part of the hettse, about the use of the kitchen, which she claimed a right to uie in common with him. Mat ters proceeded so far, that on the night of the 28th of Octo ber last, the defendant put up across the entrance a wooden partition to keep Mrs. Ewbank out, when she sent for the plaintiff, Pereira, who is a carpenter, and directed him to break it down with his mallet, which he was hi accordingagly- do ing. when the defendant called in a po liceman and ve m in charge. The Jury found for the plaintiff, with 40s. damages. INSOLVENT COURT.iIONDA Charles Robins and John Harley were opposed by Messrs. Cooke and Rawlings, on the part of Messrs. Hodgson and Co., and other creditors, merchants. The insolvents were sup ported by Mr. Woodroffe. The insolvents had been extensive drug merchants. Their cases occupied nearly two days in the investigation, which was an inquiry into property. The COURT adjudc,red both the insolvents to an imprison ment of eight calendar months, for a fraudulent disposition of property. _ CENTRAL CRIMINAL COURT. OLD COURT. pawl:lr.—John Theak, aged 26, was indicted for wilful and corrupt perjury, by swearing before the Magistrates, at Union-hall, that Mr. Cullingford, the landlord of the County Coffee-house, New Kent-road, did, on Sunday, the 6th of December, and during the hours of divine service, admit two persons for the purpose of drinking, and also that two men came out with pipes in their hands, and a female with a jug of beer. Mr. DUNBAR took an objection to the indictment, which Mr. Sergeant ARABIN overruled. Mr. DUNBAR then addressed the Jury on behalf of the de fendant. On the Learned JUDGE summing up the case, one of the Jury:nen was discovered to be asleep. Mr. Boom:I—Will you be pleased to awake that Gen tleman ? Mr. Sergeant ARABIN—He only slept during your address, Mr. Dunbar.—(A laugh.) Mr. DUNBAR—Perhaps he will wish to have it repeated. Mr. Sergeant ARABIN—I have no inclination to hear it. The Learned JUDGE then summed up the evidence. The Jury found the prisoner Guilty. SURREY SESSIONS.-MONDAY. At these Sessions, which commenced yesterday, John Powell, aged 35, a pauper belonging to Charlwood, in the lower part of the county, was indicted for maiming two oxen, the property of John March, a farmer in the neighbourhood. There were two other indictments against the prisoner for maiming and wounding a mare and a calf, the property of another farmer of the name of Risbridge, residing near Charlwood. The Jury returned a verdict of guilty, and the CHAIRMAN, after commenting on the enormity of the crime, sentenced the prisoner to be transported for life. The other two indictments against the prisoner were aban doned. POLICE INTELLIGENCE. Q UEEN- S Q (TARE. Yesterday a long inquiry took place at this office before Mr. GREGORY, respecting a charge against Richard Carter, po lice-constable of the B division, No. 121, of having robbed a person in the station-house who was brought in a state of in toxication. The accused had no witnesses to disprove the charge, and the Magistrate said he had no alternative but to commit him on O'Connor's oath, the only witness against him, and the prisoner was accordingly committed to take his trial, and the witness was bound over. DREADFUL TRAGEDY. On Saturday, the 31st ult., an inquest was taken at the late dwelling-house of Mr. John Bailey, of Green- grove, in the isle of Ely, on the body of the said John Bailey and two of his sons, John, aged nine years, and George, aged eight years, who came to their deaths under the following cir cumstances : The late John Bailey was of an old and respectable family, long resident in the parish of Thorney, where they were occu piers of farms under the present and several other of the Dukes of Bedford. The deceased was a widower, with four children, whose wife died about three years since. Grief for the loss of his wife, and the unfortunate circumstances of the times, arising from the depreciation of agricultural produce, had long preyed upon his mind, and he was observed to be low and desponding in his habits and manner. Some time since he was obliged to execute a deed of trust to pay his cre ditors as far as he could, and in consequence thereof, he was obliged to be removed to another and a smaller farm, more within the compass of the means his friends would have pro vided to enable him to bring up his family. On Thursday se'nnight the deceased went to bed at his usual time ; one of his sons slept in the same bed with him, the other in a cot by the side of his bed. Miss Denny (the sister of his late wife) kept the house ; in the dead of the night she was awoke by a noise like the smothered discharge of a pistol. ' She ran to the room, which she found completely filled with smoke. Her shrieks soon brought a maid-servant to her assistance, who upon looking into the room, saw the legs of the deceased hanging out of the bed. She immediately sent the servant boy to a cottage upon the farm, and who soon after returned with three men to render assistance. They found the de ceased lying upon the bed with his morning coat on, his craves had been taken off; his right hand was grasping a pis tol(which had been discharged) and lay upon his breast; one of the boys was lying by the side of him on the same bed, apparently fast asleep; the other in the cot, also apparently in a profound sleep. After examining the body of deceased, which was found to be quite dead, they proceeded to move the children into beds in other apartments, when they found them in a complete state of stupor; the poor youths made a gurg ling in their throats. and their eyes were turned up in their heads. A messenger had been to Thorney, to request the im mediate attendance of Mr. Clapham, the surgeon, who came in about an hour. His first attention was directed to the father. He lay in the same state in which he was first disco vered. A pistol, which deceased grasped in his right hand, had been placed in his mouth in an upward direction, and fired off; the deceased was bleeding moderately from the nose and mouth ;he was quite dead. Search was made for the bullet, but none could be found ; there was no external wound, so that the bullet still remained in the head, most likely in the brain. On the dressing-table there sto,'d four empty phials, labelled 4. Prussic acid—poison—three drams—William Sniith, chemist and druggist, High-street, Wisbech ;" also two empty wine-glasses. The youngest boy (George) expired soon after. The elder, (John) who was labouring under precisely the same symptoms, and decidedly without the chance or hope of recovery, expired about half-past eleven the same day. After a most elaborate and patient investigation of several hours, the Jury unanimously returned the following verdicts : " That John Bailey, not being of sound mind, did shoot and kill himself."—" That John Bailey, the father, not being of sound mind, did poison and kill his son, John Bailey." The same verdict as relates to George Bailey. The Jury repro bated the conduct of Smith, the druggist of Wished], for the incautious or imprudent conduct of him or his assistants in selling prussic acid to any but medical men. It was the practice of Mr. Bailey always to be the last in the house to bed, and it is tliO.general opinion, that as soon as all was quiet, he began the destructive preparation for the death of himself and children ; that when all was ready he awoke the innocent and unsuspecting boys ; he gave them some raisins to cat, as some were found in the bed and in the hand of one of the boys; that he gave each some prussic acid in a wine glass, and that he then took the remainder of the contents of the four phials himself before he discharged the pistol, which was the immediate cause of his death. THE LAST OF THE PIGTAILS.—It is wonder ful to think what a dire and terrific meaning the word change carries with it to the minds of some men. It may bold out advantages, it may pronaiA improvement, but, inasmuch as it overturns settled habits of thinking and ways of acting, it is regarded with suspicion or dismay by certain people. We have in our memory a yemarkable illustration of such feelings. It occurred in the case of one who went by the name of "the last of the pigtails," from his ,adherence to that once universal, but now exploded, ornament, long - after it had passed into dis use in every other quarter. Our friend venerated the said pigtail as fervently as the Catholic of the middle ages did a fragment of the true cross. At length the airs of consequence which he assumed on account of this antiquated appendage, excited the envy and jealousy of the neighbourhood; a regular conspiracy was laid against the pigtail, and it was determined to sever it from the head which it adorned, on the first oppor tunity which should offer, and an adventurous youth watched his opportunity, until one day, finding Old Pigtail enjoying au after-dinner nap in his easy chair, with no one by, he consum mated this second "rape of the lock" without detection. He withdrew, after placing the treasure in such a position that it could not fail to catch the eye of the sleeper the moment be should awake. And what an awakening it was when it did come. His strength had departed from him, like that of Samp son when shorn of his hair by the Philistines. His self-im portance, his airs of superiority, his pride and vanity—all were gone—his spirit was broken and humbled to the dust—and from that day forward "the last of the pigtails" became a melancholy and moody man ; and from that day forward, too, I until the hour of his death, everything which happened to him was, in his mind, associated with the loss which had befallen Lim. Did evil fortune come upon him, it was all owing to the departure of the pigtail : was good fortune his lot, still he was certain it would have been meted to him in tenfold measure had the pigtail remained in its original position. —Liverpool Chronicle. MELANCHOLY ACCIDENT On Saturday last, as three miners, Walter Thomas were sinking the engine sht' Joseph -- Moyle, and John Da il y T f reveneulMinc, near llelston, a hole which they had preparel, wouldor blasting the rock, owing to the dampness of the tamping , not explode. On re forming to the spot to ascertain the cause, an explosion took which killed Thomas on the was providentially spot , and lacerated Moyle pla." , in a ,4readful manner. Dally so little fiat be was able to give informatio n of hurt, ti. survivor, .accident, when he,, was immediately afforded to the bat with very I, : ttle prospect of recovery. _Cornwall —ornwall Ga zette.lr ~. , --- . MEN T . IMPERIAL PARLIA_ Government to bring in a Bill for the purpose of remedying the evil; of the present system of trying minor offences and crimes committed by children, said that the subject was under consideration. It was one of very great difficulty, and the proposals which had been made from various quarters were very different. Amongst others, a proposal had been sub mitted to the G overnment by the Judges of the Central Cr veinal Cou r t, an d t h at also was under consideration. Ile would, on an early day, state the course that was intended to be pursued ; and in the mean time he would consult the Com missioners appointed to inquire into the subject. Colonel SIBTHORP gave notice of his intention to move that there be laid before the House a return of the names of persons, and the number employed, on all Commis sions; also the secretaries and clerks thereof—the places where such Commissions sat—the number of days and hours on which they sat—the salaries and allowances for each person so employed, and the expenses thereby incurred ; the Return Return. . to commence at 1830, and to continue down to the date of the HOUSE OF LORDS, FEBRUARY 8. . The Earl of S H AETESBURY sat as Deputy Speaker a t '? u n k : o'clock, when th e Duke of Beaufort, Lords Dunsany, Belha. and Erskine took the oaths and the ir seats. The 'LORD CHANCELLOR took his seat on the Woolsack at five o'clock. NEW HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT. Viscount DUNCANNON had to inform their Lordships, that the Commissioners appointed to receive and consider the plans fur the new Houses of Parliament had made their Report to his Majesty, who bad been pleased to confirm it, and had ordered the Commissioners to confer with the architects, in order to have the plans laid before both Houses of Parliarnent.—( Hear, hear.) The Com missioners would have been happy to have been able to make their Report before the 20th of January, as it was wished for by the House ; but as they had 97 plans sent in, they had found it impossible to do so before the Ist Feb. The Commissioners bad sent to him four Nos., and on referring to the corresponding Nos. on the sealed let ters in his office, he found out the architects who had been selected—the first of whom was entitled to fifteen hundred pounds, and the other three to five hundred pounds each. In two or three weeks the Commissioners would be able to prepare the plans which would be submitted to both Houses of Parlia ment ; and it was his intention then to move for a committee f similar to the one which sat last year. CHURCH COMMISSION. An HON. MEMBER asked a question, the import of which we could not catch, relative to the Church Commission. Lord JOHN RU SSE LL said he would rather not then answer the question proposed. lie would, however, say that the subject of pluralities and non-residence had engaged the attention of his Majesty's Government : and he had the satis faction to state, that, during a great part of the vacation, every necessary inquiry had been made, so that he had no doubt a measure would shortly be introduced on the subject, by a Mem ber of the Church Commission, or of the Government. SPAIN. The Marquis of LONDONDERRY, seeing the Noble Viscount at the head of the Government in his place, gave notice that to-morrow he would move for certain returns relative to the stores which had been sent from this ' of)untry to those of Spain. He saw they were ordered: in the otik:r House, and therefore he supposed there would be no opposition to hi. !notion ; but he wanted it more in detail than it had been ordered. He wanted to know the value of the stores and ammunition so sent. There were some other ques. tions relative to Spain which he would put. He would espe cially call their attention to that paragraph of the Speech which hoped to have a speedy conclusion put to the civil war in Spain. He felt very strongly upon that question, and was sorry that at the end of the last Session he had been induced to give up his intention of bringing the whole matter before their Lordships. He would, however, do so to morrow, and the more so, as he did not understand from the Report of the Foreign Secretary's speech, whether the interfe rence for the 27 prisoners, consequent upon the letter of the Bishop of Leon, was satisfactory or not. Viscount ME LBOUR NE would not then enter into the question, further than to put the Noble Marquis right upon the point respecting the Bishop's letter. The intercession of his Noble Friend, the Secretary for Foreign Affairs, in favour of the 27 prisoners, was nearly one month before the date of the Bishop of Leon's letter. The Marquis of LONDONDERRY would not enter further into the question, as he would have an opportunity of alluding to the whole question to-morrow. All he would then ask was, had the intercession of the Foreign Secretary been successful, and were the prisoners now at liberty? Lord MELBOURNE did not know, but he would be ready to answer the question to-morrow. FOREIGN CORN. The Marquis of CL ANRICARDE presented a petition from the corn merchants of Westport in Ireland, praying that foreign corn now in bond might not be allowed to be made into flour. THE KING'S ANSWER TO THE ADDRESS. The LORD CHANCELLOR said his Majesty had been pleased to return the following most gracious answer to their Lordship's Address :—" My Lords, I thank you for your loyal and dutiful address, and. I receive with great satisfaction the assurance that you will direct your attention to those great measures of domestic policy which I have recommended to your consideration, and I am perfectly satisfied they will be treated in such a way as will be best calculated to increase the happi ness and properity of the country, by promoting the religion and morality of my people." The Earl of SHAFTESBURY moved that his Majesty's Answer be printed and published. COURT OF CHANCERY. The LORD CHANCELLOR moved for a return of the state of business in the Court of Chancery fora certain number of years past. His object in moving this was that their Lordships might begin possession of the state of business in that Court, pre vious to his calling their attention to measures he intended to propose for the purpose of removing certain evils which at pre sent existed in that Court. The returns, he believed, have been in preparation some time, and he had no doubt they would spee dily be laid on their Lordships' table. ECCLESIASTICAL COURTS. The LORD CHANCELLOR gave notice, that on Friday next he should propose to lay upon the table a Bill for the purpose of consolidating the Ecclesiastical Courts of the country, and giving more effect to those Courts in certain cases. Their Lordships then adjourned. ORANGE LODGES. Mr. HUME seeing the Noble Lord, the Secretary at War, .in his place, would take leave to ask a question relative to Orange Lodges in the army. That House had passed a reso lution on the subject on the 1 1th of August, and, on the 31st an order was issued by Lord Hill, by which the attendance of all officers and men was peremptorily prohibited. He (Mr. H. ) now wished to know whether the order was carried into effect as regarded all officers and men known to attend Orange Lodges subsequent to the date thereof, and he also de sired to know what measures were taken to carry it into effect.—( Hear.) His reason for inquiry was, that he held a document, showing that certain General Officers did attend the meetings of the Orange Association subsequent to the date of Lord Hill's order ; and he else had a letter from his Royal Highness Ernest, Grand Master, stating in answer to an Address presented to him, his determination to con tinue a Member thereof. In Ireland, certain individuals in the police were, they knew, dismissed from their situations for disobedience of the order to which he referred, and, he hoped, justice would be equally administered to the high and the low. Lord HO WICK, in answer to the question proposed by the Member for Middlesex, would assure the House of the de termination of Government to deal out justice equally to the high and the low in station, but the order issued by Lord Hill applied only to officers on active service; those not serving were not, the House was aware, subject to the provisions of the Mutiny Act, and could not be brought to Courtmartial for a disobedience of orders. All officers on full pay were within the terms of the orders referred to ; and such of them as took a part in the proceedings of the Orange Lodges subsequent to its date, could be brought to a Courtmartial for an in fraction of the order of the Commander-in-Chief.—( Hear, hear.) He (Lord Howick) had authority to state that the Duke of Gordon, as soon as he was aware of the order issued by Lord Hill, intimated to the Orange Lodge, with which he was connected, his intention not to attend in future the meet ings of that body, and the soldiers who were members of it were so in ignorance of the orders on the subject. Effective measures, he assured the House, were taken to correct the evil complained of, and neither officers nor men would be allowed to offend with impunity.—( Hear, hear.) Mr. HUME then gave notice of his intention to move on Friday, that all officers, and members of Orange Lodges, not on full pay, shall be struck out of the Commission. AGRICULTURAL DISTRESS. Lord JOHN RUSSELL rose to move that so much of his Majesty's Speech be read as relates to Distress and Agricul ture; he also moved that the resolution of that House of the 4th of April, 1833, relating to the currency be likewise read. The Clerk now read both documents. Lord JOHN RUSSELL now rose to call the attention of the House to that part of his Majesty's Speech which related to agricultural distress, and to move that a Select Committee be appointed to inquire into the state of agriculture, and the cause of the distress which now prevails in some important branches of it. It was always his opinion, and it was also the opinion of others, whose authority was entitled to their consideration, that when great distress prevailed, Parliamentary Committees should be appointed to ascertain the facts of the case, and to consider whether any remedy could be adopted, and although persons might not agree in opinion upon the subject, yet good would result from the abatement of exaggeration. It was like wise desirable that those who are suffering should see whether Parliament have it in their power to relieve their distress. There was one remedy which found advocates, but which he thought that House should not entertain, and that was the reason why he moved that the resolution of 1 833 be read, in which it was declared to be the opinion of that House that no alteration should be made in the currency. He was prepared to state, as far as he was concerned, that no recommendation to tamper with the currency had been made, or would, under any circum stances, by tither himself or his colleagues..—( Hear, hear.) Having said this, be would now move for a Select Com mittee to enquire into the cause of agricultural distress, and he hoped the Noble Lord opposite (Chandos) would not find it necessary to move an amendment. He would not now enter into an examination of the causes of agricultural distress, but he would just refer to one or two facts. Those who complain,. always fix upon the low price of wheat as the cause of distress, and yet there has not been an equal fall in the price of other grain. In the years 1828 and 1835, the price of wheat had fallen from 60s. 4d. to 395. 4d., being a reduction of 36 per cent. ; Barley, from 325. 108. to 295. I Id., being a reduction of nine and a half per cent., while in oats the reduction was but two and a quarter per cent. He thought it would be natural also for the Committee to con sider the various alterations in price with respect not only to the different kinds of grain, but also as to other articles of agri cultural produce. There was another question, although it had been very much investigated in the report of the Poor Law Commissioners, to which it was very material the attention of the Committee should be directed—namely, the change going on in various parts of the country, in conse quence of the enactment of the Poor Law Amendment Bill, and the unions which had also been formed in several parishes. He knew of some instances in which the change effected had been very great. A Noble Lord, a Member of the other House, had that morning informed him that in two parishes in Suffolk, wherein a union had been formed, the poor rates had been reduced one third, and in the course of the year the reduction had not been less than one half the rates previously paid. In one union in the county of Bedford, with which he (Lord J. Russell) was acquainted, the reduction in the quarter ending last December was exactly one half, the amount formerly paid being 2,5001., and the present amount 1,2001. There might be facts also on the other side relative to the working of the measure, and it would be the duty of the Committee to take the subject irito their serious consideration, and he trusted it would turn out that it had been in most instances a very great amelioration. The subject of county rates had been very fully investigated before the Committee appointed for that pur pose ; but there might be still suggestions as to more effectual checks upon that branch of expenditure, although it was diffi cult to say where there was effectual control, and where it was wanting. There was another subject to which many Hon. Mem bers taught the attention of the Committee might be usefully directed—he meant the great question of the Corn Laws.— ( Hear, hear.) He (Lord J. Russell) believed that an opinion existed some years ago, and it was very general among the owners and occupiers of land, that Parliament should fix some price below which agricultural produce should not fall. He believed they bad now discovered that in that opinion they were mistaken. He (Lord J. Russell) had never entertained an opinion that such would be the case, although he was most anxious that some law for the protection of the agri cultural interest should be introduced.—( Hear, bear.) He It ished to hold out no hope that would not turn out to be well founded. He wished the question to be fairly considered by the Committee, and he was sure if there were any practical means by which agriculture could be improved it would be the duty of Parliament to adopt them. It was not the intention of his Majesty's Government at all to interfere with or fetter the Committee, but he hoped the Committee would not recom mend the adoption of any measure that would have a tendency to alter the state of the currency of the country.—( Cheers. ) The Marquis of C H ANDO S said, that his Majesty's Mi nisters, Government s i eee s oevt t ti e nvelh r edo o s sr u , unafrgg l inr i roir a olei, n v tucn i unm n t Ida g teeui altdraasaa.udrkl groat deal ios i coma n t are t ilee o iacasluds t fl h aooi e otnfr i efw r dtv ahta h hrtei daoenn,dredi country, ideucesetunvoealetrytrirnyoytmlu,:per endeavoured 1 tadd r ohg t a rttiw n iiooach t duciagleathirbqu:erleyhtaceelnstltdi what i i eioae had ;i tress of the. country, and he rejoiced to find that at last the attention to a matter which involved the interest r so many of his Majesty's subjects._( Cheers.) If he tinder_ stood tho Noble Lord rightly, it was not the intention of Ili; Majesty's Government at all to fetter the course to be adopted by the Select Committees if that had not b een the case. he should himself have moved for the appointment of a Select Committee ; all that he would, howev er , now e s s :, was, that the time had arrived when there must be full and fair inquiry into what were the causes of agricultural distress and the Noble Lord having fairly told the House that it was not the intention of his Majesty's Government to fetter the Committee, or interfere with their deliberations, he should not feel it his duty to move any amendment to .the motion of the Noble Lord. because he took it that it was the intention of his Majesty's Government to give every facility to the discussteri of the question before the Committee. j, giving his opinion lie fait that ha was speaking th e sent i ments of the farmers of England. The Noble Lord, he(Lord Chandos) was sure, had seen that the farmers he this country had arrived at that pitch of diffi cu l ty under which they could no longer go on. He must have no_ tired the numerous meetings in every part of the count r y, calling up4on the Legislature to do justice to them by i n . stituting an inquiry into the cause of agricultural dis tress,—(Cries of " Hear, hear.") lie would not say a word upon the subjeei of the Corn Laws, but he confes e A hind no inPiiriaoon to !,9* 14 !.'"l4 Fil4Pstion as one whi c h th ey should inquire late. He was oly speaking iris QW4 4glnilnents, but he would not then enter into that impartant topic. to o t knsTvlctlhata ffaordomgmreitattede twouldre. satisfactionbife it to sho appointedu th i d e I 41 agriculturists Unfortunatelyeoitfuuirriresl tyds into the cause of their turn out that Parliament should find itself Unable to benefit them—and he certainly did not think so—( Hear, hear)._ their confi (Ic eat e that had the but if it 4110414 4p happen , thiteteef,awrinitheoruwt orengldar:: have the e of ho is p n e o d tv! Govern ment-would appoint such or political feeling.,—( Hear.) As be thought that he woultt ; and a c thato w tn a m ROUSE OF COMMONS, FEBRUARY 8. The SPEAKER took the chair at a few minutes to 4 o'clock. Mr. CAMPBELL, from the East India House, brought up returns relative to the compensation granted by the Company to its officers. A messenger from the Bank of England brought up returns, which were laid on the table. Mr. TRAVERS brought in a Bill for enclosing waste lands in Alford, and another parish in Cambridge.—Read a first time. Mr. CHARLES RUSSELL presented a petition in fa vour of the Reading Gas Company. Mr. WILLIAM FOLK ES presented a petition, praying for leave to bring in a Bill to enclose waste lands, in the parish of Brompton, Yorkshire. Some more petitions for private Bills having been presented and ordered to be referred to Committees, Mr. R. GORDON said as the lists had not yet been printed, he trusted that though these Committees were appo►nted, it would be upon an understanding that they would sit till after Wednesday next. The list would then be made out, and the business go on regularly. If they did sit before, it would be in the power of any Hon. Member to get a Report that the standing orders had been complied with, by getting his own friends, or the friends of the measure in question, to attend. The SPEAKER said he apprehended that the usual course was now pursued. It was the same as had been uniformly acted upon. In fact, he had no other way of doing the busi ness than the course he had taken. Sir E. KNATCHBULL said that the good sense and dis cretion of the Members interested would be a guarantee that nothing wrong would be done. Sir J. WROTTESLE Y thought the matter was one of very great importance. As it was at present, the parties in terested in a canal in Yorkshire might have their pet►t►on pre sented by a Member from Cornwall, and then the matter would be decided by Members for Cornwall only.—(No, no.) Mr. WARBURTON and Mr. PEASE thought the point one of much importance, and trusted no Committee would sit before the lists were in the hands of the Members. The SPEAKER reiterated that as things now stood, he had no other course to take than the one he Lad done. Mr. Sergeant TALFO ti RD brought up the Report of a Committee on a private Bill. Mr. GORDON said that the present was a case in point. Here the names of the Committee were not attached to the Report. He should therefore move that the Bill he recom mitted, which was agreed to. Mr. PENDAR YES presented a petition from Cornwall, praying for the removal of the Assize Hall. Mr. SANDFORD presented a petition from Somerset, complaining of agricultural distress. NEWSPAPER DUTIES. Mr. BL A C KBURNE presented a petition from Hudders field, praying for the repeal of the duties on newspapers. The Hon. and Learned Member strenuously supported the prayer of the petition, firmly believing that literature would be increased by the adoption of sneh a course. CARLOW ELECTION. Colonel BRUEN gave notice that on the 11th instant lie should present a petition praying an investigation into the cir cumstances connected with the late election for the County Carlow. STANDING ORDERS COMMITTEE. Sir JOHN WROTTESL E Y rose for the purpose of moving the appointment of the Standing Orders Committee. Within the last four or five years the number of the Com mittee had increased from twenty-one to thirty-six, and with out meaning to impute any inattetttiou or negligence to any portion of that Committee, it was his intention to reduce the number from 36 to the original number, 21. Mr. HUME regretted that he had not been aware of the Hon. Baronet's intention to move the appointment of the Com mittee, as he had intended to suggest some amendment in the mode of deciding upon objections and matters of form. The Speaker, who was the person most deeply interested in being made acquainted with the decisions of the Committee, was ge nerally kept in utter ignorance as to the grounds upon which objections were obviated or admitted; and he (Mr. Hume) had intended to suggest that a record of their proceedings should be kept, or that the Speaker should be present at the sittings of the Committee. . The SPEAKER understood that it was intended to make such arrangements as would render the labours of the Corn. mittee muc more efficient than hitherto.—( Hear. ) The Committee was then appointed. AGRICULTURAL DISTRESS. The Marquis of CH A NDOS presented a petition from some place in the county of Stafford, praying for agricultural relief. FACTORY BILL. Mr. HARDY wished to know whether it was the intention of his Majesty's Government to make any alteration n the Factory Regulation Bill ? Mr. LABOUCHE RE said that if the Hon. Gentleman had informed him that he intended to ask this question h e would have been prepared with a precise answer. As it was he could only say that he did not think that it was intended to make any alteration. EXCHEQUER BILLS. Dr. BO WRING gave notice that on the 28th of March he would propose the following resolutions, viz :—" That fcr the purpose of exercising a due control over the expenditure of the public money, it was necessary t h at the eress receipts should he paid, without deduction, into the Exchequer; and also that no issues should be made from the Exchequer with out a previous Parliamentary sanction." lINSTAMFED FUELIC4TIONS. Mr. HUME reminded the House that they d ad passed last Session an order for 4 return of all individuals who had been committed for selling unstamped publications. The or der had not yet been carried into effect ; and he would, there fore, give notice that on Tuesday next he would renew his motion upon the subject. JUVENILE OFFENDERS. Lord JOHN RUSSELL, in answer to a gnestion from an Hon. Member, as to whether it was the intention of the THE SUN, LONDON, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, I EroG, have had the honour of bringing forward this motion, lie • had put . the names of th e C oinm i t t ee b e intended to move for upon paper. He should wait with great anxiety to hear what names would be proposed by the Noble Lord. He could not sit down without congratulating the farmers of England with having arrived at the satisfaction of having a fair Committee to look into every subject that was likely to be the cause of distress. If that had not been the case, he must in duty to them have moved an amendment. He was glad to be relieved from that duty by the Government taking the question into their consideration ; and he only hoped and trusted in God that the inquiry would be so carried on, as to be a relief to the farmers, and a satisfaction to the country at large.—(Cheers. Mr. CLAY said that he did not think it right to press for any change whilst this inquiry was going on.—( Hear, bear.) Until, therefore, he saw the report of the Committee, he would not bring forward the motion of which be had given notice.—( Hear, hear.) Mr. T. ATT WOOD rose to move an amendment.— (Cries of " Oh, oh.") It was due to the public mind, and the feelings o f the public, that he should move an amendment, and he would move " That it be a particular instruction to the Committee to enquire into the effect of the Bill of 1819, commonly called Peel's Bill."—( A laugh.) He did not be lieve that there was a man in that House who was not of opinion that that Bill had been most dis astrous.—(Loud cries of " No, no," and some cheers.) Did any one say " No?" As a gentleman, he would say, that it was very extraordinary.—( Cries of "Oh !") After witness ing the consequences of that Bill for the last 20 years, if indeed all the Hon. Gentlemen opposite were 20 years of age--( A laugh) —it was most extraordinary to hear the Hon. Gentle men say " No." Have they not had lamentable expe rience of the fact ? They had been throwing dust in the eyes of the agriculturists for the last twenty years, but they were now wiping away the dust from their eyes, and the general opinion of the agricultural classes was, that to the Bill of 1819, the whole agricultural distress was to be attri buted.—( Cries of " Oh, oh.") The Noble Lord talked of a reduction of rent, but there should also be a reduction of dividend. The same law and justice should be done to the landholder and to the fundholder. The landholder had as good a right to be protected from Legislative wrong as the fundholder. Did the Noble Lord think that we had now -come to the worst? He knew well that we had not. The Noble Lord knew perfectly well that under the present standard of value, the whole tenantry of England must be ruined, unless the whole landed interest was ruined.--(Cries of " Oh, oh.") Did the Noble Lord mean to follow up the iniquity of the Bill of 1819? The Noble Lord might think we had come to the worst, but he ought to know better. We had 50 per cent. lower to go.—( Laughter.) At that very moment every shilling of rent which the Noble Lord's family derived, was obtained solely by tampering with the currency. There was not a shilling of rent paid that was not obtained through the tampering with the currency. The pay of the soldier and the King's civil list could hot be paid but for this accursed tampering with the currency. This tampering was still going on, an at this very moment they had made the Bank of England notes a legal tender. Was not this an immense, an enormous tampering with the currency ? Was there a man in that House who did not know that the certain consequence of this, and of the spirit of speculation that it had given rise to, would be a universal panic? There was a storm coming over them which would inevitably burst ere long. What they termed prosperity would unques tionably turn out a source of ruin to thousands and tens of thousands of the people of England in a year or two. (Cries of " Hear, hear, hear.") Let the Noble Lord revoke the cruel injustice he had practiced upon the industry of the people of England. Let him at once call out the military, and sweep them off the face of the earth, for it would be infinitely more bountiful to kill them by wholesale, than to allow them to die by inches. He believed it to be a fact that more had died from the oppression to which they had been subjected--that more had been killed by broken hearts than on the field of battle. There had been delusion upon delusion, and deception upon deception. The indus trious classes had been told of over-trading, over-speculation, over-production, and over-population, but nothing had been said of over-ruling.—( Hear, hear.) The great misfortune of the people of that country had been that they had been over ruled. The industrious classes had trusted to that House, and they had been deceived and defrauded, and their capital ' and the funds of their industry had been taken from them. That House was again about to deceive them—they were pre paring them for the butcher's knife again to massacre them. --(Cries of—Hear, hear.) The moment there was a rise in the price of agricultural produce, manufactured goods would become 10, 20, or 50 per cent. higher. What would be the consequences? Gold would become the cheapest article of export. Last year the quantity of gold and silver in the Bank of England was 14 millions; it was now down to seven mil lions. It was in reality only six millions ; but it had been worked up by the Government, purchasing gold bullion in South America to go back again, perhaps to-morrow, to pay for the bills it had given. Was that, he would ask, a solid, healthy currency ? So long as it continued the gold must leave the country. If the Bank reduced its accommodations it would break down and ruin half the manu facturers of England. Was it intended for a fourth time to bring ruin upon the country? They all recollected the dis tress of 1816, of 1819, of 1826, and 1829, and were they now, in 1836, to have another deluge of ruin poured out upon their merchants and manufacturers ?—( Hear, hear.) One word with respect to the Committee. He was a Mem ber of the Committee of 1833, and he could declare, on his word of honour, that it was nothing but a delusive hum bug. The Member for Oldham was another member of it ; but there were thirty-four of them friends of the prosperity system. They all saw through the depths of their own purses the prosperity of the people. The mo ment that Committee met, he saw that it was but a delusion, , for he could assure the House that they passed a resolution preventing an inquiry into the currency ; and every time he proposed a question on the subject, he was called to order. Thatnot hwassem in 8 a solitaryl2l when he wa case, for he examined before wasthe victim of the Agricultural Committee, which was as great a humbug as the former one. Ile came up from Birmingham for the pur pose of being examined before them, and they would not hear him. He asked, were they not appointed to enquire into the subject of the agricultural distress ? They said, un doubtedly. He asked, would they not examine into the causes of the low price of agricultural produce ? They said, undoubtedly. He asked, would they not ask what was the amount of money in the market ? They said, certainly ; but they refused to enquire into the only thing appertaining to those questions—the currency. That was the system in 1821—it was the same in 1833 ;it was the same when Mr. Western moved for his Committee in 1822 ; it was the same when Mr. Davenport and Sir R. Vivian brought the subject for ward afterwards. He felt that he was only doing his duty to warn that House that the days of delusion were fast passing away, and that if the gates of justice were once closed—if the people took matters into their own hands—their judgment would be as c rue l a s that pronounced by the House against them.--( Hear, hear, and cheers.) He wanted them to return to a just currency--be it one of paper or of gold ; he wished them to do justice between the fund holder and the landholder—between the landlord and the te nant. He protested against the one-eyed sort of enquiry pro posed, and he hoped they would not shut out the question of the currency from the consideration of the committee. As to the constitution of the committee, he thought the Members ought to be selected indiscriminately, that a net might be thrown around the House.—( Cries of " Hear, hear.") The Committee, as proposed by the Noble Lord would be a complete delusion, for it would be nominated by him and his Majesty's other Ministers. That Committee he had no doubt would summon before them a deluge of witnesses to prove that there was nothing rotten in the state of agriculture, that all would be well by to-morrow, and that any little evils that might exist, would all be removed by taking off the tax on shepherd's dogs.—( Laughter.) If, however, the Committee was appointed by the House as he submitted it ought to be, there would then be security for the Throne, security for the aristocracy, and security for every class of his Majesty's subjects.—( Hear.) He thought the subject ought to be fairly investigated, and all its dark sides turned to light. The lion. Member concluded by proposing, as an amendment to the motion of the Noble Lord, that it be an instruction to the Committee particularly to enquire into the effect which the Bill of 1819, commonly called Peel's Bill, hai produced on agricultural distress. The SPEAKER stated that it was not competent for the Hon. Member to move his amendment till the Committee was appointed. Col. SIBTHORP implored the Hon. Member, whose ta lents he so much admired, to withdraw his amendment. Colonel THOMPSON said he had been, some time back, applied to to reduce his rents, and he did so, on con dition that he should be at liberty to raise them, in case an alteration should be made in the existing corn law.—( Hear, hear.) In illustration of the feeling which prevailed on t hi s subject in the country , he might mention a cir cumstance which had lately occurred. A farmer, who had great e xperience in agriculture, came to him and said our condition is so bad that it is time to try your recommenda tion, and seek for an alteration in the Corn Law. Let him not be understood to advocate a sudden or material change ; the change he recommended was a gradual alteration, which could not have an injurious effect on the interests involved. He concluded with expressing a hope that some attention would be paid to that rising class of landlords and agricultu rists, of which he would have more to say hereafter. Mr. CA YL E Y did not rise to prolong the discussion, but lie felt bound to return his thanks to the Noble Secretary for the Home Department for the kind manner in which he had come forward on the present occasion. He could not, however, avoid saying, that unless the Committee were fairly formed, it would give nothing like satisfaction to the agricultu rists.—( Hear, hear.) There was such a spirit abroad that they would no longer be blinded by such pretexts. It wa s not for the Noble Lord, nor for the House to decide what relief should be given —it was the duty of the country to do that after a fair and impartial enquiry before a fairly chosen Committee. If the Noble Lord did choose the Committee in a fair m anner, and if it was f a i r ly conducted, it would prove a blessing to the country. M r , EAT H COTE said he felt constrained to offer hi ; mosi 4 1 1 Oncere tq the Noble Lord for • coning vorifttr in the manner be har t _ done ; and put asfdo all that party feeling which must otherwise h av e attached to the question. He tilAV4ii at l Ya ( 4yc ywifair to raise doubts en the quiljet of the mktiong up of the Com mittee, before it was knOwn what names it was proposed to put upon it.—(Hear, hear, hear.) He wished much for unanimity, and therefore he would not further cl',[ert to what had fallen from the Honourable Member opposite relative to the Corn Laivs, than to say, that he considered the obserVatiOns were much out of place.--( Hear.) He did not think that there existed in the minds of any great b o dy ' Q f agriculturists tiny aestrg for au alteration 3n these laws ; certainly a great difference 6f opinion existed upon the Fuhject, and it was unfair to come to a decision until the inquiry had concluded. If they went into the question of the currency the inquiry would never end--they would sa there till August, and then be no nearer a conclusion than they now were. He hoped the time was coming—he. hoped that the labours of this Committee would be so successful as to put an end to thaFe local parliaments which had been denounced by the Hon. Member for Middlesex. that ve , ir, as compared with former periods of inquiry. that in the be, there had bce9, nevertheless, a material imprevenient know that my conviction from that inquiry w-conditionhil am much oun was the requisite prove v' d .a ; s ; faosr com pared t for his money a greater amount of pared with former prosperous periods,heof wages as to pro cure this consolation, conveniences of life.—(Loud cheers.) I know that assurance has been to me the greatest possible when labou r i ng , as I did , under the prejudices excited againstas me for the mea sures of 1819.—( Cheers. ) The N o bl e L or d h told us that the w or ki ng o f t h e new Poor Law Bill will neces sarily come under the attention of the Committee. In con nection with this subje c t th ere i s one po i nt which I would ear nestly press upon the attention of the Government, namely, the possibility of diminishing in some degree the amount re quired for the building o f th e wor k houses. It strikes me that in most cases the interest paid on money borrowed for this purpose is far high er th an i t s h ou ld b e—far higher than it Is • obtained for other public works of a like character. Now, allow me to express a hope that the circumstance of the ap pointment of this Committ ee , an d i ts b e i ng vested with power to inquire into the working of the Act genessally, may not preclude the Government from taking 's:nmediate steps to remedy this grievance. I believe tb.",t great essential good will result to the agricultural int - ,rests from the operation of the present system of poo:Aaws, and I have in the county with which lam connected done all I could to facilitate itsa working. I would not, however, overrate too much the per manent reduction of expense that may be looked for. It should be taken into consideration that the Bill is coming into opera tion at a period when there is, owing to the construction of rail roads and other public works, a great demand for labour, and that upon this demand ceasing recourse must be had by the then unemployed labourers to the provisions of the Act. am not saying a word against the present operation of the Act, but I do not think we should be too sanguine as t o the reduction which will be eventually made.—( Hear.) W e s hould bear in mind the peculiar circumstances of the pr'.sent hour, and, doing so, l oo k f orward to the time wlel'n the advantages arising fr om th em s h ou l d cease. With r. etfa the strongnow sag language used by the Hen. Member r .or Birmingham, I shall should y nothing. the present is - not the time for it, and I ture o debate be sorry to bold out any t opic likely to raise a prema should apprnhe'ed that the ve r y p rec i se an d Prect ; :cal reasoning whi c h t' oat Hon. G en tl eman ca ll e d i n t o I ,',aay to night, will suggest to all the expediency of his being one.of the first witnesses examined .by the Committee; and when before them, I do trust, for his own sake, that, without any of that Tom-foolery to which lie has alluded, but by the exhibition of sound reasoning and facts, he may be able to show that an alteration of the currency would tend to improve the condition of the agricultural interests. I must say, when I recollect the prophecies which the Hon. Member so lavishly made some short time since, as to the impossibility of carry ing on trade and manufactures at all while the present stan dard was continued, I heard with some satisfaction the decla rations he made this evening. It is my opinion that, looking to the vast agricultural and commercial interests at stake, the Committee will not be able to suggest any great beneficial amendment. I will not say that the present state of the cur rency is unalterably fixed for the best, but that I am convinced the permanent welfare and prosperity of the country, both in its commercial and agricultural interests, are deeply involved in maintainin g a permanent metallic standard.—( Cheers.) Sir C. BURRELL was understood to support the 'ap pointment of the Committee, but, in consequence of the 'noise arising from a number of Members leaving the House, it was impossible to collect the nature of his remarks. Mr. WODE HOUSE was understood to say that be felt bound to declare his conviction that gold was not the best standard of value. He entertained this opinion, and was strengthened in it from observing the evidence before the Committee in 1810, known by the name of the Bullion Com mittee, appointed at the instigation of Mr. Horner and Mr. Iluskisson. It was proved also by the events of 1789, of 1797, 1816, 1819, and 1823. He considered that the appointment of the Committee was calculated to do good, and he thanked the Noble Lord for not excluding a full, free, and unfettered investigation of all matters connected with the question of agricultural distress. With respect to what had been said by the Hon. Member for Birmingham (Mr. Attwood) as to the distress of the farmer not exceeding that of other classes in the community, he would wish to refer him at any day to any of the country newspapers, when he would perceive the nusnber of farms there were to let--a sure indication of the depressed state of agriculture. The question was then put—" That a Select Cotsimittee be appointed to inquire into the cause of Agricultural Distress." —Agreed to. Lord J. Russell then rose to propose the names of several Hon. Members to serve upon the Committee, stating that he had not been guided in his selection merely by his own judg ment, but had consulted the opinion of others competent to de cide upon who were the most fitting persons. It would be found by the list that the great majority of Members were Members for English agricultural counties, there being only four Scotch and four Irish Members. The following Corn ' mittee was then appointed :—Lord John Russell, Sir Robert Peel, Mr. R. Clive, Mr. Clay, Sir James Graham, the Mar quis of Chandos, Mr. Gilbert Heathcote, Mr. Shaw Le fevre, Mr. Evelyn Denison, Sir Edward Knatchbuli, Lord Stanley, Mr. Miles (of Somersetshire), Mr. E. San ford, Mr. Cayley, the Hon. M. C. A. W. Pelham, the Earl of Lincoln. Sir Robert Price, Lord Francis Egerton, Mr. G. Beaumont, Sir William Molesworth, Lord Howick, the Hon. W. Gordon, Mr. G. Evans, Mr. E. J. Copper (Sligo), Sir John OWen, the Hon. Sidney Herbert, Mr. Bingharn Baring-, the Right Hon. C. P. Thomson, Mr. Hawes, Mr. Ord, Mr. Handley, Mr. Morrison, Mr. Dunlop, Mr. J. Young (Ca van), Mr. Loch, and the O'Connor Don. Mr. CAYLE Y . moved that the name of the Illember for Whitehaven (Mr. M. Attwood) be added. Lord J. RUSSELL did not like to object to tire addition of the name of an Hon. Member, but as the Hon. Gentleman proposed looked at the question as one relating to the cur rency rather than to agricult ure , h e was afraie. that the addi tion of hi s name was not likely to facilitate the objects the Committee would have in view. Mr. CAYLEY we understood to say could not have ven tured to propose the addition had not the Hon. Member for Whitehaven proved so efficient a member of the Committee of 1833. The Marquis of CHANDOS was sorry to hear the objee ti3n of the Noble Lord, a.a there were many names be had hoped to see on the Committee that had been omitted. There were certain names so well known among the farmers and to the country generally, that he was afraid unless they were added that confidence in the investigations of the Committee, so desirable, would not be given by the agricultural interest. Feeling this, he trusted the Noble Lord would te move that th e names of Lord Darlington, M permit him r. Wod e b ou se, and Sir C. B urre l l be added to the list. Sir R. PEEL, who was on the Committee of that he h a d never seen a Committee conducted wit lB33, said h gr ea ter ability, i mpart i a li ty, and justice than was that Committee by the Chairman (the Marquis of Chandos), nor with greaser evidenc e o f practical knowledge of the subject underge,ing investigation. He therefore, for that v ery reason, thought that th e suggest i on of the Noble Marquis should be acceded to. He could not help thinking, that as far as he (Sir IL Peel) was concerned it would be better his name should be omitted. The question was then put that the name of Mr. Attwood be added.—Agreed to. Lord J. RUSSELL expressed his determination of oppos ing any further addition. The should feel it Marquis of CHANDOS was sorry to say that he his duty, the House une n the if the N o bl e L ord persisted, to divide uestion. Mr. LENNARDq regretted, but he thought it his duty to propene that Mr. Bramston be added to the list for the county of Essex, which bad no representative on the Committee. He hoped the Noble Lord would give way, or the agriculturists, unless they saw a sufficient number of experienced practical Members on the Committee, would not continue to indulge the sanguine expectations of an impartial investigation. The Marquis of CHANDOS and Lord J. iit.T3SELL said they thought it their duty to persist ;:a their deter mination. Sir C. VERB said that neither Lincoln, Norfolk nor Suffolk had a M em b er on the Committee. , Mr. HUME thought that it wonld meet all difficulties if the Committee were made an open Committee. The House then divider'. on the motion of the Marquis of Chandos, when there appeared— For the minion. . Against it . 142 Majority 149 When we r e t urne d to the Gallery, 7 Lord J. RUSSELL, was speaking ; but the noise of Mem wa bers inaudible to uss entering ad leaving th e H ouse was so great, that, he Mr. LENN ARD was understood to say that he would not press his motion. MUNICIPAL CORPORATIONS ACT. The ATTORNEY-GENERAL moved for leave to bring in " a Bill to explain and amend' an Act passed in the last session of Parliament for the regulation of Municipal Cor porations in England and Wales." The Hon. and Learned Gentleman spoke so low, and the noise continued so great, that we could not catch the first part of his observations. He - was understood to say that he anticipated no opposition to the measure lie prayed leave to introduce, as its object was to ob viate some evils which had crept into the Municipal Reform Act of last session. He believed that there were as few defects in that Act as the magnitude of the subject it dealt with admitted ; but that there were some he did not desire to conceal. For instance, one point which was embraced by the Bill he wished to introduce related to the election of Alder men by the Common Council. Now, it so happened that in two cases—that of Newport, in the Isle of Wight, and that of Rochesn. r (as we could understand the Hon. and Learned Member)—the Councils were equally divided, nine being on one side and nine on the other: the consequence was that no election was made. To remedy this he proposed to confer casting vote on the senior councillor. Th onler ant alteration alterati on h e proposed to make in the e y Act o ot f l h ast im session was in respect to the title of the returning officer at elections. As the law stood a flaw or defect in the title of the returning officer vitiated the election; rendering all c lefsclot - is valid to wh no other objection HQ propos e d t o reme d y t hi s by should . be .Ken than th e i n f ormality in the department of the ren:, rinig officer. The Hon. and Learned Gentleman con cluded by moving for leave to bring in the Bill. Colonel SIIITHORP did not rise to oppose the 'introduc tion of the Bill, which he deemed one of great necessity, but to suggest that, as it embraced a most important subject, every requisite consideration should be given it, All he asked for was time, that Hon. Members might be enabled to afford it that consideration. Mr. M. ATT WO OD said the Act of the last Session_ re• quired revision, an d h e t h oug h t t h e present a faVourable op portunity of revising it. He was of opinion that one of its objects should be the abolition of qualifications for town eosin- Mr. 'l'. AT T WOOD said, that perceiving there was such a strong feeling for unanimity oa both sides of the House, lie would not press his amendment to a division.-4 Hear, hear. ) Sir CHARLES VE RE made a few observations that were quite inaudible in the gallery. Mr. ROEBUCK wished to express a hope that the Committee about to lie appointed would understand what was meant by the term " agricultural interest ;" for he had often heard great disputes, and great confusion follow such disputes, from the not understanding of that term.—( Hear, hear.) The first and most numerous class of agriculturists were the labourers, and he particularly wished those who were to deter mine what was the cause of agricultural, distress, should first determine whether or not there was increased distress among the agricultural labourers ?—( Hear, hear.) That was the first and most important matter that ought to come under their consideration ; and if it should so happen that the condi tion of the labouring farming population of England was now better (as he believed it to he) than it had been for the last twenty years—(cries of Hear, hear, and no, no)-- there would be something then to be said against the proposition respecting agricultural distress. The next im portant portion of agriculturists was that portion that employed capital in land—namely, the farmers—and he wanted to learn from the Commitee whether the application of capital to land was less profitable than the applica tion of capital to any other business—(Hear) —and if it was not, then he wanted to know what was meant by the term agricultural distress with respect to that portion of the agricul tural interests ? The last and least important class of the agricultural interests—the least important, because they were the least numerous, and because they were not produc tive—were the landlords.--( Hear, hear, and laughter.) He was willing to own that in that House the landlords were not likely to meet with much wrong.—( Laughter.) A very large and important portion of the House thought but a small section of the community were landlords.—( Hear.) He adhered to his proposition, that the least important part of the agricultural interest were the landlords. That portion, he was willing admit, were in distress—not from the Government —not e l - , 01 , 1 the law, which favoured them more than any otter class— ( cries of Oh I) but from themselves.--( Hear, and cheers. ) The cause of their distress was the habits of expense they had incurred during the time the country was at war ; they, there fore, ought not to call upon the House to assist them in diffi culties which they had brought upon themselves. Mr. BENNETT felt himself called upon to defend that class to which he belonged (the country gentlemen) agai ns t the statements of the Hon. an d Learned Member. They had done their duty—they had been "eye' to their King—they had done great service to the State, and in their capacity of Magistrates—they had not been altogether useless. Neither in that House, nor elsewhere, should he ever advocate any measure that would not contribute to the advantage of that class. He could assure the Hon. Member for Bath_ and he was just as cognizant of the habits and condition of the labouring classes as that lion. Member—that they were never prosperous unless their masters, the farmers, were pros ' perous.—( Hear, hear.) He could assure the Hon. Gentleman also, that the farmers of England, who it was asserted most erroneously obtained larger profits than the manufacturers— that the farmers of England could not prosper, unless the English Country Gentlemen prospered also.—( Hear, hear.) He wished the Hon. Member, when he said that these three classes were bound up together, had added to them another class—the trading classes of large towns.—( Hear.) The prosperity of one or the distress of one must entail that prosperity or distress on all. There was another class also —he meant the manufacturers of home consump tion—who were also identified with them. While they talked about the importance of their exports, they should not forget the magnitude of the home consumption. —( Hear, hear.) He felt that they were now forestalling the business of the Committee.—( Loud ,cries of " Hear, hear.") He felt obliged to his Majesty's Government and the Noble Lord for having proposed such a Com m itt ee , which, lie had no doubt, would - be a fair one. Much was to be expected from it, as it was an unrestricted one—the last had been a restricted one, and therefore was only a delusion upon the country. All he asked for the British people was justice, and ho doubted not they should obtain their demand. Mr. PLUMPTRE was not unwilling to agree in the statement of the Member for Bath, that the labouring classes were a most important part of the British community ; but from the other assertion of the Honourable Gentleman, that they were not now labouring under great distress, he should positively dissent. He was himself in possession of a great extent of land, and he could assure the House of the disposi tion of the farmers to give a better remuneration for labour if their circumstances permitted. Sir ROBERT PEEL wished he could concur in the ex pectation entertained by some of his friends, who thought that good would result from the appointment of a Committee. He should confess in that hope lie did not participate.- -( Hear.) He firmly believed when the Committee reported, probably at the close of the Session, after a great deal of in quiry, the result would ho the same as that of 1833, stating the impression on the part of the Committee ; and he could assure the House that legislative interference -on the subject could not influence the prosperity of the agri cultural community. But yet he thought if a general expectation was entertained that good would result from a Committee, those who did not see its advantages were bound to give up their own opinion. For himself he would say if he thought this Committee was appointed with the view to alter the standard, and that this effect would result from the enquiry, he certainly would oppose its appointment.—( Cheers. ) He was perfectly certain that no good effect could result from the labours of this Committee if its object was to ascertain the effect produced upon the agricultural interest by an alteration in the currency, and that all such inquiries would end in disap pointment. As far as the agriculturists were concerned their in terests would be best promoted by the Committee ad dressing itself to practical remedies. Before they applied any remedy, they must inquire into the various causes that had led to a depression of agricultural produce.—( Hear.) He considered that the condition of the labouring classes must form an important element of the enquiry. He was surprised to hear from the Hon. Gentleman who had last spoken, that the condition of the labouring, classes had not been improved within the last few years. He felt a strong conviction that the condition of the labouring classes had been materially improved. Mr. O'CONNELL—in England? Sir R. PEEL—I mean in England; and this countervails in seine degree the pain [feel at the prejudice which has been excited against me by the Bill of 1819. Now, Sir, I say again, If this Committee is about to enter upon the task of inquiring generally into the working of the currency measure of 1819 they aro entering upon a task which, if the inquiry be pur sued in the ordinary way of Committees of this House, must end in disappointment and dissatisfaction.—( Cheers:) An extensive and complete history of the working of that mea sure throughout every district of the country, and with refe rence to each individual interest, might, if it assigned to eac h district and each interest its peculiar bearings and distinctions, prove a highly valuable and useful work ; but such a history, I maintain, could never be written by any Committee of this House, however wise its heads or persevering its labours.__ ( Hear, hear.) From a slight, partial, and insufficient investi gation into the causes of distress in particular parts of the country, it is evident, inasmuch as it would not tend to show the necessity of a general measure of alteration, no satisfaction would result ; and my fear is that more than such an inves tigation on this particular subject no Committee would be able to make.—( Hear.) As to the precise way in which the Committee should conduct their labours I will not take upon myself to offer any decided opinion. I and ave rse to tying up their powers; and, rather than defining them too closely, would prefer giving every latitude consistent with the object in view, I think, however, I may go as far as to ex press an opinion that, if any advantage is to result from their labours, they will best secure its fulfilmeut by addressing their attention even from the outset to the consideration of practical subjects and practical remedies. I would instance to them the consideration as to whether the redemption of the land tax, a question not as yet sufficiently considered, might net be beneficial to the agricultural interests —( Hear, hear.) This and such like practical subjects the Committee have now the means of considering, and it will certainly be desirable that their attention should be mainly directed to them. As to what were the various causes which led to the depreciation agricultural prices, I do not think any satisfactory result 'would attend an inquiry into them. The Committee mould act upon the fact that there has been a deprecion, and that their business is to find a remedy for the distress it has caused. If they did otherwise—if, instead of acting as he recom mended, they consume three or four months in inquiring how far the depreciation complained of had its origin in the alteration of the currency, or the cessation of the war, or whether it was attributable to the improvements in ma chinery, and the Consequently diminished cost of the raw material, I fear their labours will be productive of little benefit. Care should likewise be taken that cases are not selected from particular portions of the country. If the Com mittee arc going to ascertain the real state of the agricultural interests at the present moment, they should enter upon the inquiry with a view to its general and not partial bearings. They should not, for instance, take up the case of heavy soils, ' where the growing of wheat was an expensive process, and, separating it from its fellows, apply their attention to its most fitting remedy. They should look upon the question as a whole, and that not merely with reference to the interests of agriculture, but of every other interest in the country. I, for my part, believe that all the interests of this country arc closely identified.—( Cheers.) Nay, more, my conviction is, that in the great prosperity of the manufactures and trade of this country there is mare prospect of remedy for agricultural distress than in any legislative enactment that can bo devised.--( Hear, hear, hear.) As the Committee is about to be appointed, it is not my wish to say anything which might provoke pre mature discnssiou, and th ere f ore I w i l l no longer intrude myself upon the attention of the House. I merely rose to express my firm beli,e.f,t a that it is as mnels for the inferosts of agricilltnre as for those of conimero and manufactures that we sirould the present standard of value.—(Cheetz,,) I think that the condition of the labouring P°P‘ll4tlon re quires the greatest consideration, and I would earnestly im press upon the Committee about to be appointed, that it should bg accorded to it. I may mention, by-theshy, that I was somewhat surprised to hear it stated by aid Hon. Member on this side of the House, that the condition of that class had. not improved of late years. If lam not much mistaken, the result of the inquiry in 1833 was an all but unanimous opinion on the part of 'the Committee, that although the condition of that class was not as gourishing as they might wish it to